0:00:05 > 0:00:09This is the River Frome, and this stretch of the river is home
0:00:09 > 0:00:12to one of the oldest river swimming clubs in the country.
0:00:12 > 0:00:13And later on in the programme,
0:00:13 > 0:00:16I'll be finding out more about wild swimming, as it's known.
0:00:16 > 0:00:20But it's something you would not want to do at our valuation
0:00:20 > 0:00:22day venue. I think the sea lions
0:00:22 > 0:00:25and the hippos would have something to say about it.
0:00:25 > 0:00:29Now there is a clue as to where we are filming. Welcome to "Flog It!"
0:00:52 > 0:00:55As I'm sure you've guessed, today's valuation venue is
0:00:55 > 0:00:59Longleat, in Wiltshire, home to the Marquesses of Bath.
0:01:00 > 0:01:03Not only was Longleat the first stately home
0:01:03 > 0:01:08to open to the public on a fully commercial basis in 1949
0:01:08 > 0:01:13and the first to open a drive-through safari park in 1966,
0:01:13 > 0:01:18it also planted what was then the world's longest hedge maze
0:01:18 > 0:01:20in 1975.
0:01:20 > 0:01:23But for the current incumbent, the Seventh Marquess,
0:01:23 > 0:01:26one maze just wasn't enough.
0:01:30 > 0:01:34And here in front of the Sun Maze, the crowds are already gathering.
0:01:34 > 0:01:37The more people, the more antiques,
0:01:37 > 0:01:40the greater chance we have of finding that hidden
0:01:40 > 0:01:42gem in all of these bags and boxes.
0:01:47 > 0:01:50Already using their animal instincts to sniff out something
0:01:50 > 0:01:53special in the queue are our experts.
0:01:53 > 0:01:54And in this heat wave,
0:01:54 > 0:01:58Claire Rawle has found a collectible she could put to good use.
0:01:58 > 0:02:01Absolutely glorious. Aren't they beautiful?
0:02:01 > 0:02:05- And on a day like today... - I know.- It works.
0:02:06 > 0:02:09But Michael Baggott is happy to get hot under the collar
0:02:09 > 0:02:13for the contents of a Wiltshire wallet.
0:02:13 > 0:02:17Yeah, my father-in-law dug it up about 40 years ago.
0:02:17 > 0:02:18Oh, that's marvellous.
0:02:19 > 0:02:21It's in lovely condition.
0:02:21 > 0:02:25And I'm sure there are many more gems waiting to be discovered.
0:02:25 > 0:02:29Anyone of these people could end up making a small fortune in auction.
0:02:29 > 0:02:33It could be you or you. We have our cameras ready to record the action.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36We've got our crowds, which means we've got lots of antiques,
0:02:36 > 0:02:39the greater chance of finding that hidden gem.
0:02:39 > 0:02:43So, what are we waiting for? You know what we've got to do.
0:02:43 > 0:02:44ALL: Flog it!
0:02:47 > 0:02:50Whilst everyone makes their way to the valuation area,
0:02:50 > 0:02:54takes a seat and gets comfortable, how about a sneak preview?
0:02:57 > 0:03:02Coming up, has Michael made the right call on these Chinese pots?
0:03:02 > 0:03:06I think what you've got here are two pieces that are purporting
0:03:06 > 0:03:09to be 19th century.
0:03:09 > 0:03:12And he's not the only one making a claim.
0:03:12 > 0:03:16I took them on, considering the rest of the family just wanted to
0:03:16 > 0:03:18- bin them.- Really?- Yeah.
0:03:18 > 0:03:22But which goes on to cause a bidding frenzy?
0:03:22 > 0:03:252,000. 21. 22.
0:03:25 > 0:03:27- Wow, what a result!- Yeah.
0:03:27 > 0:03:29Let's wait and see.
0:03:32 > 0:03:34Now, this section is known as the Love Maze
0:03:34 > 0:03:37and it looks absolutely stunning when the roses are in full bloom.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40And if you cut through the yew hedge here to another section,
0:03:40 > 0:03:43this is another labour of love, where our experts will be getting
0:03:43 > 0:03:47to the heart of the matter, valuing antiques all day long.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50And it looks like Claire Rawle has made a magnificent start.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53Let's take a closer look at what she's found.
0:03:56 > 0:03:59Hi, Marin. Now then, you've brought along two whips -
0:03:59 > 0:04:03a hunting crop and a switch whip. What is the history behind them?
0:04:03 > 0:04:05Well, that was my father's hunting whip.
0:04:05 > 0:04:09And I don't know really where he acquired it from.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12The crop was given to me by an elderly gentleman.
0:04:12 > 0:04:16My father was captured at Dunkirk during the war,
0:04:16 > 0:04:18in a German prison of war camp.
0:04:18 > 0:04:21And a fellow officer's father came to see my mother, I suppose
0:04:21 > 0:04:25to discuss the prisoner of war situation, sending passes and so on.
0:04:25 > 0:04:28And I was about 18 months or two years old,
0:04:28 > 0:04:32and I picked all my mother's carefully grown green tomatoes...
0:04:32 > 0:04:34- Oh, brilliant.- ..which she was cultivating and presented them
0:04:34 > 0:04:36to this elderly gentleman.
0:04:36 > 0:04:41And thereafter, he remembered every birthday and Christmas until he died.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44- And that was one of the presents that he gave to me.- Really?- Yes.- Oh, wow.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47- So it probably came from his family, then.- It might have done, yes.
0:04:47 > 0:04:51- I don't know where he got it from at all.- Your dad was a prisoner of war.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54- He came back all right?- He did. He certainly did.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57I met him for the first time when I was about five and a half.
0:04:57 > 0:04:59- He had seen me as a baby... - Right.- ..before he was captured.
0:04:59 > 0:05:01That's amazing. Now, with the hunting crop.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04Obviously, it's a fairly standard design.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07We can see on the bands here, they are silver,
0:05:07 > 0:05:11and it dates from the Edwardian era, it's about 1906.
0:05:11 > 0:05:15- This part, the T-piece, is used for closing gates.- Yes.
0:05:15 > 0:05:20- This is actually made of antler.- Oh, is it?- It is always made of antler.
0:05:20 > 0:05:23And then it is just crisscross carved, very traditionally,
0:05:23 > 0:05:25cos it gives you a surface to grip with.
0:05:25 > 0:05:29And then a leather band here and a leather-plaited thong.
0:05:29 > 0:05:31And as you see, it has lasted for years.
0:05:31 > 0:05:35- And as long as it is cared for, it will go on for more years.- Good.
0:05:35 > 0:05:37This is Victorian, so a little bit earlier.
0:05:37 > 0:05:39And then very much used as a switch stick.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42And very often ladies, when they road side-saddle, they used this
0:05:42 > 0:05:44in the hand on the side where your legs weren't.
0:05:44 > 0:05:46You'd switch on the shoulder of the horse, cos this,
0:05:46 > 0:05:48in its day, would have been... You know,
0:05:48 > 0:05:51if you were a lady, you would've ridden side-saddle.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53- Not many road astride at that time. - No, I suppose they didn't.
0:05:53 > 0:05:55I don't think it's hallmarked anywhere.
0:05:55 > 0:05:56We've searched and searched.
0:05:56 > 0:05:58But these lovely little silver mounts here,
0:05:58 > 0:06:01very typically Victorian with the scrolling foliage.
0:06:01 > 0:06:05And it has got a little name at the top. And this is so pretty here.
0:06:05 > 0:06:07Little mother of pearl, little handle.
0:06:07 > 0:06:11And it is engraved with a thistle. Are you responsible for the damage?
0:06:11 > 0:06:12Unfortunately, yes.
0:06:12 > 0:06:15But I think that just got damaged in the loft,
0:06:15 > 0:06:17- where they've been sitting. - Oh, right.
0:06:17 > 0:06:19It's not good for either of them,
0:06:19 > 0:06:21so I think the time has come to flog them.
0:06:21 > 0:06:23As they say.
0:06:23 > 0:06:26I think... I'm tempted to say... You could either sell them together,
0:06:26 > 0:06:29- cos they go to the same sort of buyer.- I think they should, yes.
0:06:29 > 0:06:33So, if you're going to do that, I'd suggest an estimate of 80 to 120.
0:06:33 > 0:06:35- Great.- How does that sound? - Excellent.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38I would put £80 on them as a reserve,
0:06:38 > 0:06:39- perhaps with a bit of discretion. - Fine.
0:06:39 > 0:06:42- We'll look forward to seeing you at the auction.- Yes.
0:06:42 > 0:06:45- And I shall look forward to being there.- Great. Thank you very much.
0:06:45 > 0:06:48It really is hotting up here in the formal gardens,
0:06:48 > 0:06:53and Ray and Michael have both sensibly got their sun hats on.
0:06:53 > 0:06:58Ray, thank you for bringing in these two mysterious-looking pots.
0:06:58 > 0:07:00Where did you get them from?
0:07:00 > 0:07:04I was on a study tour in around about 2005 in China,
0:07:04 > 0:07:07in a place called Kuning, up in the mountains.
0:07:07 > 0:07:09And I came across them in a museum,
0:07:09 > 0:07:11which was rationalizing its collection.
0:07:11 > 0:07:13These caught my eye, so I bought them.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16- So you bought them from the museum?! - Yeah.- In China.
0:07:16 > 0:07:18It all bodes well, doesn't it?
0:07:18 > 0:07:21If we look at them, they're in the form...
0:07:21 > 0:07:24I think they're trying to be archaic vessels.
0:07:24 > 0:07:28And in this case, we've got these little lion masks, we've got
0:07:28 > 0:07:31all this detail of the piercing of the dragons chasing
0:07:31 > 0:07:34the flaming pearl, trying to achieve immortality.
0:07:34 > 0:07:36The lion is well done.
0:07:36 > 0:07:38And the little toads are well done.
0:07:40 > 0:07:42But it starts to fall down a bit round the collar.
0:07:42 > 0:07:47And you've got this ostensibly old piece of soapstone.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50But when you look at the insides,
0:07:50 > 0:07:53- that looks like it has been done by a Black & Decker.- Ah.
0:07:53 > 0:07:58The Chinese, it has to be said, are the greatest culture
0:07:58 > 0:08:03in the world for producing, let us say, copies of earlier things.
0:08:03 > 0:08:06And I think what you've got here are two pieces
0:08:06 > 0:08:10that are purporting to be 19th century.
0:08:10 > 0:08:14But when you look in detail, that collar could be stamped
0:08:14 > 0:08:19out of a sheet by a machine with some regularity.
0:08:19 > 0:08:24And when you start to see concretions and discolorations,
0:08:24 > 0:08:27but then you see bright bits of solder,
0:08:27 > 0:08:29then the alarm bells ring.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32It is at this point, because I don't want to crush you, Ray,
0:08:32 > 0:08:35I'm going to ask you what you paid for them.
0:08:35 > 0:08:37Uh... Five pounds each.
0:08:38 > 0:08:42Thank goodness for that. Thank goodness for that. That's great.
0:08:42 > 0:08:44- Yeah.- That's fine, it doesn't matter.
0:08:44 > 0:08:48I don't think that these are tremendously old.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51I think they're, at best,
0:08:51 > 0:08:54- 1930s or '40s.- Oh, OK.
0:08:54 > 0:08:56They're still Chinese and they're still decorative,
0:08:56 > 0:09:01so they have a value. If we say £50 to £100 for them,
0:09:01 > 0:09:04and put a reserve at £40, that is still showing you sort
0:09:04 > 0:09:07- of a four-fold return on your investment.- Indeed.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10And they may go on from there. I mean, we might be surprised.
0:09:10 > 0:09:13But I think if you are offered any more for them,
0:09:13 > 0:09:14- I think just stick at five pounds. - Yes.
0:09:14 > 0:09:16And maybe they'd go up to six.
0:09:16 > 0:09:18Well, my instinct was right.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21But lovely to see them. Thanks so much for bringing them along.
0:09:21 > 0:09:23- Thank you for telling me the story. - It was a pleasure.
0:09:27 > 0:09:29Well, from a tale of trickery in the gardens,
0:09:29 > 0:09:33how about we head inside to find out about the skulduggery of some
0:09:33 > 0:09:37of the fascinating inhabitants of the rather splendid Longleat House?
0:09:43 > 0:09:46Now, here in the lower dining room, is a rather beautiful three-quarter
0:09:46 > 0:09:52length portrait of Louisa Carteret, reputedly of angelic disposition.
0:09:52 > 0:09:56Now, in the early part of the 18th century, she married this chap,
0:09:56 > 0:10:00Thomas, the Second Viscount, who, apparently, was rather ill-tempered.
0:10:00 > 0:10:04Louisa had a favourite manservant here in the house, which caused
0:10:04 > 0:10:07a lot of jealousy amongst the rest of the household staff.
0:10:07 > 0:10:12So when one of the minions mentioned this to Thomas, that this
0:10:12 > 0:10:15servant knew more about her favour than he did,
0:10:15 > 0:10:17Thomas flew into an absolute rage.
0:10:17 > 0:10:21He pushed the servant down a spiral staircase,
0:10:21 > 0:10:23sadly breaking his neck.
0:10:23 > 0:10:25But the story doesn't end there.
0:10:33 > 0:10:37With the unwelcome prospect of a murder investigation on his hands,
0:10:37 > 0:10:40the manservant's body was brought down to the basement,
0:10:40 > 0:10:44where it was buried underneath the flagstone floor.
0:10:44 > 0:10:48And Louisa was told he'd left the service of the house.
0:10:50 > 0:10:55In 1915, a new boiler installation meant the flagstone floor had
0:10:55 > 0:10:59to be lifted. And beneath it, in fact, this flagstone right here,
0:10:59 > 0:11:02the remains of a body was discovered.
0:11:02 > 0:11:06It was in a bad state of decay, but a pair of boots in the style
0:11:06 > 0:11:10of an 18th-century footman could be identified.
0:11:11 > 0:11:15Now, that is not the kind of antique discovery I'd like to make.
0:11:15 > 0:11:18But away from the drama of those chilly flagstones,
0:11:18 > 0:11:20in the warmth of the topiary garden,
0:11:20 > 0:11:24Claire has uncovered some drama of a different kind.
0:11:25 > 0:11:29Well, Tommy and Debra, it is great to see you here this afternoon,
0:11:29 > 0:11:33and with this absolutely fantastic collection of film posters.
0:11:33 > 0:11:35- I think there is about 93 in all, aren't they?- Yes.
0:11:35 > 0:11:36What can you tell me about them?
0:11:36 > 0:11:41They were collected by my great uncle, which passed away.
0:11:41 > 0:11:43And then I took them on,
0:11:43 > 0:11:45considering the rest of the family just wanted to bin them.
0:11:45 > 0:11:48- Really?- Yeah.- So, Debra, tell me
0:11:48 > 0:11:51a little bit about the uncle that owned this collection.
0:11:51 > 0:11:52His name was Ken.
0:11:52 > 0:11:54When we were cleaning out his bungalow,
0:11:54 > 0:11:56we just found all these movie posters.
0:11:56 > 0:11:58Tommy spotted them and said, "I would like to keep them."
0:11:58 > 0:12:00So, Tommy, are you a bit of a film buff, then?
0:12:00 > 0:12:03Yeah, I quite like quite a lot of the newer films, really.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06- These are a bit before my time. - Just a tad.- Yeah.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09- Cos they are mainly 1960s, '70s, aren't they?- Yeah.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12Did you have any favourites amongst them?
0:12:12 > 0:12:15Yeah, we've got an original Star Wars Episode Four,
0:12:15 > 0:12:16which we've got at home.
0:12:16 > 0:12:20But then especially this Logan's Run, it was their vision
0:12:20 > 0:12:24of what it'd be like really now, where it's not really like it, so...
0:12:24 > 0:12:25That's right, but back then,
0:12:25 > 0:12:27that's what they thought it was going to be.
0:12:27 > 0:12:29You've got a really good sort of selection here.
0:12:29 > 0:12:32- I just picked out a few. Had to pick Born Free.- Yeah.
0:12:32 > 0:12:35Cos, you know, we've got a lion on it, haven't we?
0:12:35 > 0:12:38It's probably not one of the more valuable ones amongst all these.
0:12:38 > 0:12:42We've got some horror. Wonderful sort of design here.
0:12:42 > 0:12:46A terrifying creature. And then the futuristic Logan's Run.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49It's good fun, isn't it? Moonraker, so you've got Bond as well.
0:12:49 > 0:12:51And then presumably, amongst all these,
0:12:51 > 0:12:55you've got quite a selection of different types of films.
0:12:55 > 0:12:57- Yeah, there are quite a lot of war ones, really.- Yeah.
0:12:57 > 0:12:59A couple of comedies, a couple of horrors.
0:12:59 > 0:13:03Obviously, the auctioneer can only list so many and illustrate so many.
0:13:03 > 0:13:06I think if you've got a list, if you let them have the list...
0:13:06 > 0:13:09Cos the first thing they'll be asked by someone trying to buy these is,
0:13:09 > 0:13:11"What are the titles?"
0:13:11 > 0:13:15Really, when you work out a basic value on 93 posters,
0:13:15 > 0:13:17you're looking at quite a lot of money.
0:13:17 > 0:13:21I think you're looking at a value between £500 and £1,000
0:13:21 > 0:13:23- as a collection. Does that sound good to you?- Yeah.
0:13:23 > 0:13:27And I would suggest putting £500 on them as a reserve.
0:13:27 > 0:13:29What would you spend it on?
0:13:29 > 0:13:32Well, I've just done two years of photography, so I would like to
0:13:32 > 0:13:37start editing a bit like this and hopefully creating some own artwork.
0:13:37 > 0:13:39It'd really go towards some software
0:13:39 > 0:13:42- and maybe a bit of hardware to edit. - I wish you luck with it all.
0:13:42 > 0:13:45Thank you very much indeed for bringing them all in. Thank you.
0:13:45 > 0:13:46Thank you.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56Well, right now, it's time for us to take our first trip to
0:13:56 > 0:13:59Devizes' Auction Rooms, to put those valuations to the test.
0:13:59 > 0:14:02You've heard what our experts have had to say, well, it is
0:14:02 > 0:14:05now time for the bidders to decide exactly what it is worth.
0:14:05 > 0:14:08And here is a quick recap of what we are taking with us.
0:14:08 > 0:14:11There is the whip and the riding crop.
0:14:11 > 0:14:13Marin has decided she wants to flog them,
0:14:13 > 0:14:16so let's hope they trot off with a new owner.
0:14:18 > 0:14:21Ray is not worried these pots haven't a great age.
0:14:21 > 0:14:25Bought for just five pounds each, I'm not surprised.
0:14:25 > 0:14:27And didn't Tommy do the right thing
0:14:27 > 0:14:30saving these movie posters from the skip?
0:14:40 > 0:14:43Our auction venue today can be reached,
0:14:43 > 0:14:47if you've got a bit of time, via the spectacular Caen Hill Locks,
0:14:47 > 0:14:51a major engineering feat when built at the end of the 18th century.
0:14:51 > 0:14:57It fell into disrepair, but was restored and reopened in 1990.
0:14:59 > 0:15:02It leads up to the market town of Devizes, which lies
0:15:02 > 0:15:06beside the Kennet & Avon Canal, and is home to our saleroom today.
0:15:11 > 0:15:12There is a great buzz in the building
0:15:12 > 0:15:15and I can see plenty of eager bidders.
0:15:16 > 0:15:17Well, it is auction time.
0:15:17 > 0:15:20This is where we put our experts' valuations to the test.
0:15:20 > 0:15:23Don't go away, there could be one or two big surprises.
0:15:23 > 0:15:25But do remember, if you're thinking of selling or
0:15:25 > 0:15:28buying in a saleroom, there is commission to pay.
0:15:28 > 0:15:30Now, it varies from room to room,
0:15:30 > 0:15:31but here, in Devizes, it is 18%,
0:15:31 > 0:15:35and that's inclusive for VAT and all the other costs.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38Right, the hammer has gone down, let's get on with our first lot.
0:15:38 > 0:15:41Up on the rostrum today is auctioneer Alan Aldridge, and he is
0:15:41 > 0:15:46going to be trying out the whip and the riding crop on today's crowd.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49I've just been joined by Marin. And I think these are quality.
0:15:49 > 0:15:51Fingers crossed we sell them, 80 to 120.
0:15:51 > 0:15:54I don't think it is a lot of money. Are you happy to sell them now?
0:15:54 > 0:15:58- Oh, yes. Yes. I hope they'll whip up a bit of enthusiasm.- Oh!
0:15:58 > 0:16:02- We hope so. Anyway, we are in the right area.- Yeah, yeah.
0:16:02 > 0:16:03And they're lovely, actually.
0:16:03 > 0:16:06- I mean, it isn't a high price, is it, for the two of them?- Not at all.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09It is absolutely nothing. Let's find out what the bidders think.
0:16:09 > 0:16:11To a nice bid, please.
0:16:11 > 0:16:12Let's have £100 for them.
0:16:12 > 0:16:1450, start me.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17- That's a big drop, wasn't it? - 40, get me away.
0:16:19 > 0:16:2140, I've got.
0:16:21 > 0:16:2340, I've got. 50? At £50. Is there 60?
0:16:23 > 0:16:26At 50. It's not quite enough. I need a little bit more.
0:16:26 > 0:16:29- Come on.- At £50. Is there 60?
0:16:29 > 0:16:31I'll take five if anyone would like it.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34- Not enough.- Didn't sell it.- No.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37We were in the right area, I just don't know why
0:16:37 > 0:16:42- that hasn't gone. - It should have done.
0:16:42 > 0:16:44Auctions are so unpredictable.
0:16:44 > 0:16:46Let's hope Marin has better luck next time.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51Ray, we are just about to sell your incense burners,
0:16:51 > 0:16:54brought all the way back from China, on a trip in 2005.
0:16:54 > 0:16:56- That must have been a wonderful trip.- Wonderful.
0:16:56 > 0:16:58- First time you've ever been? - That was, yeah.
0:16:58 > 0:17:01- You've been back since? - That's right.- Oh, you love it then.
0:17:01 > 0:17:03- Yeah.- Architecturally, strong-looking
0:17:03 > 0:17:06- and decorative.- Exactly. That is exactly what they are.
0:17:06 > 0:17:08Let's find out what the bidders think, shall we?
0:17:08 > 0:17:09Hopefully, we can get them away.
0:17:09 > 0:17:13Oriental incense burners, both decorated with Chinese themes.
0:17:13 > 0:17:17Somebody start me at £40 for them.
0:17:17 > 0:17:1920, get me away.
0:17:19 > 0:17:21Ten, I've got. 20.
0:17:21 > 0:17:2330. 40.
0:17:23 > 0:17:25£40 at the very back.
0:17:25 > 0:17:2745 anywhere else? At £40.
0:17:27 > 0:17:29At £40, is there five?
0:17:29 > 0:17:31At £40. All going...
0:17:31 > 0:17:35- 45.- Just. There were go.- 50?
0:17:35 > 0:17:37At 45 for timing...
0:17:37 > 0:17:40Well, the extra fiver helps. £45.
0:17:40 > 0:17:41- You all right?- Yeah.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44It pays for my charity show tickets for tomorrow.
0:17:46 > 0:17:51Well, that's a great return on ten pounds and a fun way to spend it.
0:17:56 > 0:17:58Sadly, our next owners, Debra and Tommy,
0:17:58 > 0:18:00cannot make it here today at the auction.
0:18:00 > 0:18:02They're on holiday, enjoying themselves.
0:18:02 > 0:18:04Good luck to you. I hope you're watching this.
0:18:04 > 0:18:06We do have your movie posters going under the hammer.
0:18:06 > 0:18:08And Claire, our expert who put the value on them.
0:18:08 > 0:18:11Originally, you said £500 to £1,000.
0:18:11 > 0:18:12I know they got in touch with Alan
0:18:12 > 0:18:15- and they upped the reserve to £600. - Yeah.- It doesn't really change much.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18- No, not really.- There's a lot of posters there from the '60s
0:18:18 > 0:18:21- and the '70s, and sometimes these can do big money.- Yeah.
0:18:21 > 0:18:23There's a real mixture there as well, because there's
0:18:23 > 0:18:26everything from sci-fi to sort of middle-of-the-road to...
0:18:26 > 0:18:28- A really good mix there. - There are some good ones here.
0:18:28 > 0:18:30There are some nice ones, well-made films.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33Let's find out what the bidders think. It's down to them.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36I'm handing things over to Alan on the rostrum. Here we go.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39Very rare posters in this lot.
0:18:39 > 0:18:41A very nice lot.
0:18:41 > 0:18:44I'll start at £1,000.
0:18:44 > 0:18:4511.
0:18:45 > 0:18:4712.
0:18:47 > 0:18:4913. 14.
0:18:49 > 0:18:5115. 16.
0:18:51 > 0:18:5317. 18.
0:18:53 > 0:18:5519. 2,000.
0:18:55 > 0:18:5721. 22.
0:18:57 > 0:18:5923.
0:18:59 > 0:19:02At 22. Would you like to go 2,350?
0:19:02 > 0:19:04Cos you might have travelled a long way.
0:19:04 > 0:19:05At 2,350.
0:19:05 > 0:19:08Is there four anywhere?
0:19:08 > 0:19:11- Wow, 2,350.- Brilliant! - No messing around.
0:19:11 > 0:19:14I hope you're enjoying watching this because I wish you were here.
0:19:14 > 0:19:17I know you're enjoying your holiday, but, wow, what a result!
0:19:17 > 0:19:20- That's great, he'll be so pleased as well.- He will, won't he?- Yeah.
0:19:20 > 0:19:23And I'm sure that'll help Tommy buy the editing equipment he was after.
0:19:23 > 0:19:25What a great result.
0:19:27 > 0:19:30Well, that is our first visit to the auction room done and dusted.
0:19:30 > 0:19:31So far, so good.
0:19:31 > 0:19:33Now, on a hot day like this, there is
0:19:33 > 0:19:35nothing better you could do than go for a swim.
0:19:35 > 0:19:39But I'm not talking about a dip in a local municipal pool.
0:19:39 > 0:19:40How about a bit of wild swimming?
0:19:40 > 0:19:42Yes, wild swimming.
0:19:42 > 0:19:46There is a club not far from here that embraces the great outdoors.
0:19:46 > 0:19:49And also, they have an incredible history,
0:19:49 > 0:19:51as I discovered earlier this week.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59In a quiet corner of Wiltshire, just outside of Trowbridge,
0:19:59 > 0:20:03is one of the oldest river swimming clubs in the country -
0:20:03 > 0:20:06the Farleigh & District Club on the River Frome.
0:20:09 > 0:20:11- Rob.- Hi.- Hello.
0:20:11 > 0:20:14- Great day for this. - Absolutely, you got the right day.
0:20:14 > 0:20:15Brilliant.
0:20:15 > 0:20:17Giving me a guided tour is Rob Fryer,
0:20:17 > 0:20:21club chairman and river swimming devotee.
0:20:23 > 0:20:26This is brilliant, absolutely brilliant!
0:20:26 > 0:20:28And there is a lot of people here.
0:20:28 > 0:20:31If you weren't privy to this little swimming club being here,
0:20:31 > 0:20:33you wouldn't know it existed, would you?
0:20:33 > 0:20:37No. For a long time, it was a bit of a secret. But it got out now.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39And I see you've got some facilities.
0:20:39 > 0:20:42You've got some port-a-loos and some... Well, a little changing hut.
0:20:42 > 0:20:46- Our pavilion, I'll have you know. - It's nothing like a pavilion.
0:20:46 > 0:20:49I tell you what, I was expecting a bush to change behind,
0:20:49 > 0:20:52so it is better than nothing. How long has that been there?
0:20:52 > 0:20:55It goes back to the 1930s, when the club started.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58- So it is a bit of our original property.- Yeah.
0:20:58 > 0:21:02I guess that's what it's all about - getting back to basics.
0:21:02 > 0:21:05- That's the kind of show we are, really, we are pretty basic.- Yeah.
0:21:08 > 0:21:13It was back in 1930 that local landowners, the Greenhill brothers,
0:21:13 > 0:21:17invited some casual swimmers to start a club on their land.
0:21:17 > 0:21:21Soon, changing huts were built and diving boards erected.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24There was camping nearby, too, and even a club flag.
0:21:28 > 0:21:32So the 1930s were a bit of a heyday for this club.
0:21:32 > 0:21:33That is when it was started.
0:21:33 > 0:21:36- What happened during the Second World War?- The Second World War...
0:21:36 > 0:21:39Cos the first thing is, you weren't allowed to visit the...
0:21:39 > 0:21:41- The coast, no. - You couldn't go to the coast.
0:21:41 > 0:21:46- So you had to come here if you wanted to swim, or some other place.- Yeah.
0:21:46 > 0:21:50And, of course, a lot of our guys signed up.
0:21:50 > 0:21:53And 12 of them never came back.
0:21:53 > 0:21:55It's easy to imagine,
0:21:55 > 0:21:58those young men leaping carefree from the boards.
0:21:58 > 0:22:01It's much harder to imagine them as infantry men under fire,
0:22:01 > 0:22:05or killed, serving in the Home Guard, like James Burkett,
0:22:05 > 0:22:08or lost in action, like Ted Hamilton, a Swordfish pilot.
0:22:12 > 0:22:16So, in 1947, the club erected a memorial spring diving board
0:22:16 > 0:22:20dedicated to their fellow members who had lost their lives.
0:22:25 > 0:22:29Sadly, this diving board, along with the three-tier board,
0:22:29 > 0:22:32had to be dismantled back in the 1990s,
0:22:32 > 0:22:35thanks to modern health and safety regulations.
0:22:37 > 0:22:39Fortunately, the story doesn't end
0:22:39 > 0:22:42with these forlorn reminders of times past.
0:22:42 > 0:22:46Alongside these diving boards, the club put up a plaque naming
0:22:46 > 0:22:49the 12 members who were killed in action.
0:22:49 > 0:22:53Now, at some stage, we don't know the date, the plaque disappeared,
0:22:53 > 0:22:57assumed missing forever. That was until recently
0:22:57 > 0:23:01a blackened piece of metal was found in the river.
0:23:02 > 0:23:04And it scrubbed up rather nicely.
0:23:04 > 0:23:08It is now in pride of place on the side of an ancient stone barn,
0:23:08 > 0:23:11just a few yards upstream, at Stowford Manor Farm.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17Rob then organised a re-dedication service,
0:23:17 > 0:23:21as he felt the memory of the men deserved a ceremony.
0:23:24 > 0:23:26It is wonderful that your members have strong ties with
0:23:26 > 0:23:28the club's history, with what happened in the past,
0:23:28 > 0:23:30but also what is happening today.
0:23:30 > 0:23:33And what was it like being at that service?
0:23:33 > 0:23:35I have to say, it was very emotional.
0:23:35 > 0:23:37Because we were wearing our club T-shirts
0:23:37 > 0:23:42and we felt we were representing our 12 dead members.
0:23:42 > 0:23:45And 12 living members had to each read
0:23:45 > 0:23:47one of the names of the deceased.
0:23:47 > 0:23:50And we finished the service up
0:23:50 > 0:23:53and we dedicated it with our club song -
0:23:53 > 0:23:55With Me Farleigh.
0:23:56 > 0:24:00It's clear to see Rob's passion for the club and for wild swimming, but
0:24:00 > 0:24:05to fully understand and embrace it, I think I need to plunge in myself.
0:24:09 > 0:24:13- Not too bad.- Not too bad, he's says! Not too bad? It's freezing!
0:24:20 > 0:24:22It's refreshing.
0:24:22 > 0:24:24I think we can go in...
0:24:24 > 0:24:25HE LAUGHS
0:24:25 > 0:24:27It is cold!
0:24:27 > 0:24:29HE LAUGHS
0:24:32 > 0:24:34Actually, do you know what?
0:24:34 > 0:24:38If you keep moving, it is really refreshing.
0:24:38 > 0:24:39This is wonderful.
0:24:49 > 0:24:52The water is very dark and it feels very cold,
0:24:52 > 0:24:55even through my wetsuit, but once you get used to it, there is
0:24:55 > 0:24:58a wonderful feeling of connecting somehow with nature.
0:25:07 > 0:25:11It really does feel like you are escaping the real world, doesn't it?
0:25:11 > 0:25:15Well, yeah. What it is, is it's you're...
0:25:15 > 0:25:20You're escaping from materialism, and this is the real world.
0:25:20 > 0:25:23Mm. This is how nature intended it.
0:25:23 > 0:25:25People say, why do I like wild swimming?
0:25:25 > 0:25:29Well, I actually learnt to swim in a river, the River Cherwell,
0:25:29 > 0:25:33and I just wonder why people want to swim in concrete pools.
0:25:33 > 0:25:38It was after the war when new municipal swimming pools sprang
0:25:38 > 0:25:42up across the country that clubs such as this went into decline.
0:25:42 > 0:25:45By the early 1990s, Farleigh & District
0:25:45 > 0:25:48was one of the few river swimming clubs remaining.
0:25:48 > 0:25:50Fortunately,
0:25:50 > 0:25:52there has been a resurgence of interest in swimming
0:25:52 > 0:25:53in the great outdoors of late,
0:25:53 > 0:25:57thanks in part to a clean-up of Britain's waterways
0:25:57 > 0:26:00and a number of recent publications about wild swimming.
0:26:02 > 0:26:05The club now attracts people from far and wide,
0:26:05 > 0:26:07and membership has soared.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10But is the locals who make the most of the river.
0:26:13 > 0:26:17It's just like a piece of heaven here.
0:26:17 > 0:26:20You just feel wonderful. Your skin and your hair feels lovely.
0:26:20 > 0:26:24It's really nice to come, you know, among the fresh air and water
0:26:24 > 0:26:25and wildlife.
0:26:25 > 0:26:29And it is a lovely place to relax and just unwind and lose yourself.
0:26:32 > 0:26:34You know, when you go swimming in a pool,
0:26:34 > 0:26:37it sort of becomes part of your weekly exercise,
0:26:37 > 0:26:41which in turn, becomes part of that sort of day-to-day,
0:26:41 > 0:26:44getting down with a life routine.
0:26:44 > 0:26:45It's stressful.
0:26:45 > 0:26:48Whereas here, swimming in the river, embracing nature,
0:26:48 > 0:26:50sort of framed by foliage
0:26:50 > 0:26:55and water rushes with a canopy of trees carving over like that,
0:26:55 > 0:26:58well, you just get rid of all those urban constraints
0:26:58 > 0:27:01and enjoy life, live it to the maximum.
0:27:01 > 0:27:03And just embrace everything. I feel invigorated.
0:27:03 > 0:27:06I'm freezing cold, but I tell you what, I feel fantastic!
0:27:06 > 0:27:10Please check out a local river swimming club near you.
0:27:10 > 0:27:12As long as it is run properly, it is going to be safe.
0:27:12 > 0:27:15And I tell you what, you're going to have so much fun.
0:27:15 > 0:27:17So, back in the water to keep warm.
0:27:36 > 0:27:38Welcome back to our valuation day here at Longleat House.
0:27:38 > 0:27:40As you can see, it is still in full swing.
0:27:40 > 0:27:43We've got hundreds of people hoping they are going to be
0:27:43 > 0:27:46one of the lucky ones to go through to the auction later on.
0:27:46 > 0:27:49But right now, I think it is time we caught up with our experts to see
0:27:49 > 0:27:50what other gems we can find.
0:27:53 > 0:27:55Well, hi, Dave.
0:27:55 > 0:27:59Good to see you here today with your early form of cinema, in a way.
0:27:59 > 0:28:01It is a little magic lantern.
0:28:01 > 0:28:03So what was the history behind this one, then?
0:28:03 > 0:28:06It was always brought out when I had a birthday party.
0:28:06 > 0:28:10- My father used to have a cinema show with these on a sheet.- Yeah.
0:28:10 > 0:28:13And I expect all the local kids hated it,
0:28:13 > 0:28:16- because he did it every time until I was about ten.- Yeah.
0:28:16 > 0:28:19And that was all my memories of it. And then they were put away.
0:28:19 > 0:28:22We've shown the children once, and they weren't interested
0:28:22 > 0:28:26- because they're not fast enough. - Yeah.
0:28:26 > 0:28:28I'm guessing it didn't start life with this electric cable
0:28:28 > 0:28:31coming out of it, cos it should have had a candle originally.
0:28:31 > 0:28:33- Yeah, but my father actually converted it.- Oh, did he?- Yes.
0:28:33 > 0:28:34Oh, right, OK.
0:28:34 > 0:28:37So it made life a lot easier than having to light a burner
0:28:37 > 0:28:38and everything in it.
0:28:38 > 0:28:41They are known as magic lanterns, and this really is a nursery
0:28:41 > 0:28:44form of lantern, because of course, they come in all different sizes.
0:28:44 > 0:28:47When this was actually made, at the turn of the 19th,
0:28:47 > 0:28:5120th century, or when they came in, which was the late 19th century,
0:28:51 > 0:28:53there was no general form of cinema
0:28:53 > 0:28:58and photography was still in its infancy and very expensive.
0:28:58 > 0:29:00They are glass slides,
0:29:00 > 0:29:03they are lithographically printed rather than hand-painted.
0:29:03 > 0:29:05Very, very colourful.
0:29:05 > 0:29:07And literally, we'd have the burner in here
0:29:07 > 0:29:10and then the slide goes through there, in front of a big lens.
0:29:10 > 0:29:11And the light shines through the back.
0:29:11 > 0:29:14- I think he had a converter to put the small ones in.- Oh, right.
0:29:14 > 0:29:16- He had a piece of wood that he put the bits inside.- Right.
0:29:16 > 0:29:18- You had, like, a holder.- Yeah.
0:29:18 > 0:29:21And then, of course, the images were projected out onto the wall.
0:29:21 > 0:29:23These are known as story slides.
0:29:23 > 0:29:26I quite like the one here, where there is a lady.
0:29:26 > 0:29:29And she is obviously listening at a door. And she is listening away.
0:29:29 > 0:29:31And then all of a sudden, someone opens the door
0:29:31 > 0:29:33and slams it into her face.
0:29:33 > 0:29:36- I can imagine... - We all laughed.- Yeah, exactly.
0:29:36 > 0:29:38The lanterns themselves don't have great value.
0:29:38 > 0:29:42It tends to be in the slides. It is still not going to be huge value.
0:29:42 > 0:29:44They are very collectible,
0:29:44 > 0:29:47but really a collection of the number of slides you've
0:29:47 > 0:29:50got is going to be in the sort of £100 to £150 bracket.
0:29:50 > 0:29:52- Is that all right?- Yep.
0:29:52 > 0:29:54I would suggest putting a reserve,
0:29:54 > 0:29:57but just tipping it under the lower estimate, say at about £90?
0:29:57 > 0:29:59What are you going to spend the money on, then?
0:29:59 > 0:30:04- We've lived in the same house for 43 years.- Oh, wow, yeah?
0:30:04 > 0:30:06And it was run down when we bought it.
0:30:06 > 0:30:09We did it up and it has now come to the stage where it has got
0:30:09 > 0:30:12- to be done up again.- OK.- I need money for home improvements.- OK.
0:30:12 > 0:30:14That's good, put the money... Something practical.
0:30:14 > 0:30:16I look forward to the auction. Fingers crossed it will do well
0:30:16 > 0:30:18and we can do lots of painting in your house.
0:30:18 > 0:30:22- Thank you very much. It'll buy a lot of paint.- Yeah. Thank you.
0:30:22 > 0:30:26Let me take you now from magical lanterns to a magical world
0:30:26 > 0:30:27under the sea.
0:30:30 > 0:30:33Sue, Debbie, thank you for bringing in this wonderful lighter.
0:30:33 > 0:30:35Are either of you heavy smokers?
0:30:35 > 0:30:39Unfortunately, my parents were smoking quite a bit,
0:30:39 > 0:30:43and they used to use it a lot, but it has been dormant for many years.
0:30:43 > 0:30:46So we've got this lovely Dunhill aquarium lighter.
0:30:46 > 0:30:50We've got all of the brass fittings, picked out in chrome.
0:30:50 > 0:30:54And we've got this lovely Lucite or Perspex body,
0:30:54 > 0:30:56which has been shaped and polished.
0:30:56 > 0:31:00And on the inside, it has been carved and drilled out with
0:31:00 > 0:31:03the design of the fish and the coral and the seaweed.
0:31:03 > 0:31:06And then all of that, that would be plain white
0:31:06 > 0:31:09when it's finished, is reverse painted.
0:31:09 > 0:31:12But the first colour that you see, or rather the top colour,
0:31:12 > 0:31:16has to go in first. So you are basically painting backwards.
0:31:16 > 0:31:20There was a time, maybe 15 years ago, that would not have been
0:31:20 > 0:31:24- worth five or ten pounds, and nobody collected them.- Interesting.
0:31:24 > 0:31:29But now people have realised that they are iconic of their period.
0:31:29 > 0:31:31I mean, when did your parents acquire it?
0:31:31 > 0:31:33I would think probably the early '50s.
0:31:33 > 0:31:37Early '50s is spot on for when these lighters were being made.
0:31:37 > 0:31:38Mid-'40s, early '50s.
0:31:38 > 0:31:42- You've also got, sadly, that. - My brother dropped it.
0:31:42 > 0:31:45If you've got a bit of damage on something,
0:31:45 > 0:31:49- it tends to be worth a tenth of something that is perfect.- Yeah.
0:31:49 > 0:31:50I'm sad to say.
0:31:50 > 0:31:54A very good one in a retail setting might be £2,000 or £3,000.
0:31:54 > 0:31:57- The crack makes a big difference. - Mm.
0:31:57 > 0:32:00I think we would be sensible putting
0:32:00 > 0:32:03£300 to £500 on it. Whoo!
0:32:03 > 0:32:07- And put a fixed reserve of £300. - Whoo! That sounds very fair.- Lovely.
0:32:07 > 0:32:08If it does particularly well,
0:32:08 > 0:32:11- any plans for what you might do with the money?- We're having
0:32:11 > 0:32:14a garage built, and it will go towards building a garage.
0:32:14 > 0:32:17- It is quite a big feature.- Well, it's something functional, isn't it?
0:32:17 > 0:32:20- It is.- Thank you both so much for bringing this in today.
0:32:20 > 0:32:23- Thank you very much for telling us about it.- Pleasure.- Thank you.
0:32:24 > 0:32:28And from under the ocean to riding the waves, and the half-mile lake
0:32:28 > 0:32:33is providing the perfect setting for an item I am really excited about.
0:32:33 > 0:32:37It is something that has never been seen at a valuation day before,
0:32:37 > 0:32:40and it belongs to a captain of the high seas.
0:32:42 > 0:32:45Commodore Warwick, thank you for bringing in a dugout canoe.
0:32:45 > 0:32:49That is a first on the show. It really is.
0:32:49 > 0:32:51What exactly is a commodore?
0:32:51 > 0:32:54- Is it a captain and has had a lot of experience?- Yes.
0:32:54 > 0:32:59I was in Cunard Line for 36 years and joined as a junior officer
0:32:59 > 0:33:02and worked myself up to the position of a captain.
0:33:02 > 0:33:06And then I was recognised by the company as the most senior,
0:33:06 > 0:33:10- and they bestowed the title of commodore on me.- Wow.
0:33:10 > 0:33:12And what ships were you in charge of?
0:33:12 > 0:33:16The smaller ones, like the Cunard Countess and the Cunard Princess.
0:33:16 > 0:33:20Then I went on to be captain of the Queen Elizabeth II.
0:33:20 > 0:33:25- And my command of that ship spanned 13 years.- What a career!
0:33:25 > 0:33:29So tell me a little bit about how you came across this dugout.
0:33:29 > 0:33:31Where did you get it from? On one of your trips?
0:33:31 > 0:33:35In 1973, I was on a voyage as a junior
0:33:35 > 0:33:39officer on the Queen Elisabeth II, and we called in at Haiti,
0:33:39 > 0:33:44in Port-au-Prince, and there the natives paddled out in these
0:33:44 > 0:33:47canoes to sell carvings to the passengers.
0:33:47 > 0:33:51- And I wasn't interested in any carvings.- You wanted the canoe!
0:33:51 > 0:33:54I said to the chap, "How much for the canoe?"
0:33:54 > 0:33:57And we started a bidding and he let me have it for 12.
0:33:57 > 0:34:00- I contacted Greenwich Maritime Museum.- Oh, yes.
0:34:00 > 0:34:03I didn't think they would want it, but in my letter,
0:34:03 > 0:34:07I asked them if they knew anywhere that would like it,
0:34:07 > 0:34:10and they wrote back and said, "Well, we'd like it."
0:34:10 > 0:34:14And it was in the History Of Ships section for 25 years.
0:34:14 > 0:34:17I don't think it's 18th century.
0:34:17 > 0:34:21At the earliest, it is late 19th, possibly early 20th century.
0:34:21 > 0:34:24It is dug out by hand in indigenous wood.
0:34:24 > 0:34:27You can see the girth, can't you, of the trunk here, that it
0:34:27 > 0:34:28has been dug out from.
0:34:28 > 0:34:32This is one piece of wood, which has been adzed out by hand.
0:34:32 > 0:34:35Value wise, if you put this into a general auction, I think
0:34:35 > 0:34:38you'll quite easily get your £300 to £500.
0:34:38 > 0:34:41A general auctioneer will not understand this canoe.
0:34:41 > 0:34:45It needs to go into a specialist maritime sale,
0:34:45 > 0:34:48with a bigger worldwide audience, people that want this kind of thing.
0:34:48 > 0:34:50Because on a good day,
0:34:50 > 0:34:52three or four bids bidding against each other in the room
0:34:52 > 0:34:56will push this to around £1,500 because of the provenance,
0:34:56 > 0:34:57because of its history,
0:34:57 > 0:35:01and because it's unique and you're not going to find another one.
0:35:01 > 0:35:03This is a vessel, not only that you are proud of,
0:35:03 > 0:35:05that I'm proud of as well.
0:35:05 > 0:35:07It has been a pleasure to be here and thank you very much
0:35:07 > 0:35:10for everything you've said about this canoe.
0:35:10 > 0:35:14And let's hope it goes to some people that really appreciate it.
0:35:14 > 0:35:15Thank you.
0:35:15 > 0:35:18Sadly, we are not taking this dugout to auction,
0:35:18 > 0:35:21as it is a general sale and probably wouldn't do it justice,
0:35:21 > 0:35:23but we do wish Commodore Warwick
0:35:23 > 0:35:26the very best of luck in a specialist maritime sale.
0:35:26 > 0:35:30And I'm sure some real enthusiasts will bid for it.
0:35:30 > 0:35:32And now over to Claire, in the topiary garden.
0:35:32 > 0:35:36Well, Chris and Sally, it is lovely to see you here this afternoon,
0:35:36 > 0:35:38with some very sparkly silver.
0:35:38 > 0:35:41- Have you been polishing it a lot? - Yes.- Yesterday.
0:35:41 > 0:35:44- Oh, right, specially to come here? - Yes.- Because it was rather grim.
0:35:44 > 0:35:47OK. So it has been obviously lurking in the cupboard somewhere, has it?
0:35:47 > 0:35:49- In the garage for the last two, three years.- Right.
0:35:49 > 0:35:52I always say to people, "Don't worry about cleaning silver too much,"
0:35:52 > 0:35:53cos every time you clean it,
0:35:53 > 0:35:56- you actually take off a little bit of silver.- Oh, right.
0:35:56 > 0:35:59So in my mind, that's a really good excuse not to clean it too much.
0:35:59 > 0:36:01- I like that.- Yes, exactly.
0:36:01 > 0:36:03Two quite different types of decoration,
0:36:03 > 0:36:06because they are from two different parts of the world.
0:36:06 > 0:36:08Do you know the history of them at all?
0:36:08 > 0:36:12Well, we thought that the bowl might be from India or Sri Lanka.
0:36:12 > 0:36:16- Cos my mother was born in Sri Lanka.- Oh, right, OK.
0:36:16 > 0:36:19And spent some time in India and then came back to this country.
0:36:19 > 0:36:22And I have a feeling that could be from my father's side,
0:36:22 > 0:36:25- cos that's the Victoriana side of the family.- Right, OK.
0:36:25 > 0:36:27Well, that would fit in, because, yes, that is
0:36:27 > 0:36:31definitely Indian-Sri Lanka, or Ceylon as it was,
0:36:31 > 0:36:33cos of the decoration on it.
0:36:33 > 0:36:35And probably, actually, it's quite a high grade of silver,
0:36:35 > 0:36:40because a lot of the silver they used out there was of high quality.
0:36:40 > 0:36:43And I love the decoration, because you've got this continuous scene
0:36:43 > 0:36:47of these sort of thatched houses, absolutely ginormous birds.
0:36:47 > 0:36:51Quite a primitive scene. Nicely embossed. It's marked underneath.
0:36:51 > 0:36:54- And then this one is actually... It's English.- Yes.
0:36:54 > 0:36:58It has got an English assay on it, dated to 1901.
0:36:58 > 0:37:01And I like this. This is very sort of typically late Victorian
0:37:01 > 0:37:02decoration, of cherubs,
0:37:02 > 0:37:06cavorting about, shooting things with arrows and playing with...
0:37:06 > 0:37:09There's a hound there and a bit of fishing going on.
0:37:09 > 0:37:11So a very, very typically sort of rather more romanticised
0:37:11 > 0:37:13Victorian scene.
0:37:13 > 0:37:15But they are both very saleable.
0:37:15 > 0:37:19And if you put them together, I think possibly you're looking
0:37:19 > 0:37:20- at £60 to £80.- That's good.
0:37:20 > 0:37:22- Does that sound good? - That's OK.- Excellent.
0:37:22 > 0:37:25And I mean, perhaps a reserve at just under the lower estimate,
0:37:25 > 0:37:29- say 50?- Yes, that's OK.- So we will put 50 fixed on it, I think.
0:37:29 > 0:37:32And now, once they are sold, have you got any idea what you might
0:37:32 > 0:37:35- spend this massive amount of money on?- We've recently retired
0:37:35 > 0:37:37and we've got a Greek Odyssey planned,
0:37:37 > 0:37:41- where we just go off in our caravan for 42 days.- Really?!
0:37:41 > 0:37:43- Going around, touring Greece. - Oh, that sounds good.
0:37:43 > 0:37:46Mainland Greece and Europe. We'll be away for 60 days in total.
0:37:46 > 0:37:48That sounds great. Oh, wow...
0:37:48 > 0:37:50This should help pay a little bit towards it.
0:37:50 > 0:37:52Well, every little helps. It all mounts up. Brilliant.
0:37:52 > 0:37:54We'll hopefully set you off on your way.
0:37:54 > 0:37:56I look forward to seeing you at the auction.
0:37:56 > 0:37:58- Lovely.- Thanks very much.- Thank you.
0:37:59 > 0:38:02Sadly, that brings our time here to a close.
0:38:04 > 0:38:06What a marvellous day we've had here.
0:38:06 > 0:38:08The weather has been good to us and so has the treasure.
0:38:08 > 0:38:11We found some real gems at Longleat House.
0:38:11 > 0:38:14But right now, it is time to say goodbye to this magnificent
0:38:14 > 0:38:17setting as we head over to the saleroom in Devizes for the very
0:38:17 > 0:38:20last time to put those valuations to the test.
0:38:20 > 0:38:24And here is a quick recap of what is going under the hammer.
0:38:24 > 0:38:27There is David's magic lantern.
0:38:27 > 0:38:30Will this enchanting but outdated form of entertainment
0:38:30 > 0:38:32find a new home?
0:38:34 > 0:38:38Smoking might be out of fashion, but this lighter isn't.
0:38:38 > 0:38:39The intricate artwork
0:38:39 > 0:38:43and the iconic 1950s look makes it highly collectible.
0:38:45 > 0:38:47And let's hope the silver bowl and pot will make a good
0:38:47 > 0:38:52contribution toward Chris and Sally's caravan adventure.
0:39:01 > 0:39:04So, let's put our experts' valuations to the test
0:39:04 > 0:39:06as we return to the saleroom.
0:39:06 > 0:39:10And first up, it's time for a bit of old-fashioned recreation.
0:39:13 > 0:39:15Right now, we are all off to the cinema
0:39:15 > 0:39:17with David's early projector and the slides.
0:39:17 > 0:39:18Absolutely love this.
0:39:18 > 0:39:20David, I kind of envy you in a way
0:39:20 > 0:39:22because my dad never had one of these.
0:39:22 > 0:39:27It's the narration that I would think would be totally entertaining.
0:39:27 > 0:39:30- Wouldn't it?- I think we as children got a little bit fed up with them.
0:39:30 > 0:39:33- Of course.- Because we had them at every birthday party.
0:39:33 > 0:39:35Out they come, and at Christmas time.
0:39:35 > 0:39:37- I agree with the valuation. Good luck.- Hopefully.
0:39:37 > 0:39:39Let's find out what the bidders think.
0:39:39 > 0:39:41It's going under the hammer right now.
0:39:41 > 0:39:42Tin-plate magic lantern
0:39:42 > 0:39:45with lots of slides,
0:39:45 > 0:39:47approximately 60 of them in total.
0:39:47 > 0:39:50Somewhere around about £110?
0:39:50 > 0:39:53100, get me away.
0:39:53 > 0:39:56£60, then. 60, I got.
0:39:56 > 0:39:5870 anywhere? At £60.
0:39:58 > 0:40:00On the maiden bid. 70 anywhere?
0:40:00 > 0:40:01At £60. 60.
0:40:01 > 0:40:04Is there 70? I want a little bit more. It's not quite enough.
0:40:04 > 0:40:06Is there 70...?
0:40:06 > 0:40:09Ladies and gentlemen, that is not quite enough.
0:40:09 > 0:40:11- Didn't sell.- What a shame. - That's mine...
0:40:11 > 0:40:13I nearly...got the reserve.
0:40:13 > 0:40:15Reserves are a good thing, I totally agree.
0:40:15 > 0:40:18If it is a little family heirloom, a little bit of family history,
0:40:18 > 0:40:19do protect it.
0:40:19 > 0:40:21It is not worth giving it away for nothing,
0:40:21 > 0:40:25- cos you'll never buy it back. - We won't. Go in the loft again.
0:40:25 > 0:40:28Well, I was thinking of entertaining the grandchildren.
0:40:28 > 0:40:30That's what you should be doing.
0:40:30 > 0:40:34Although David's grandkids may not thank me for that,
0:40:34 > 0:40:37let's hope we have better luck with our next lot.
0:40:39 > 0:40:41- These were Mother's, weren't they?- Yes, they were.
0:40:41 > 0:40:44One from Sri Lanka and the other, a Birmingham assay mark.
0:40:44 > 0:40:47Why have you decided to sell now?
0:40:47 > 0:40:49Because we recently retired and we're going on the trip
0:40:49 > 0:40:51of a lifetime and we want some money to spend.
0:40:51 > 0:40:54Right. How lovely. Look, that's exciting.
0:40:54 > 0:40:56- Let's hope we get top dollar for this.- Please.
0:40:56 > 0:41:00The silver trinket box plus a Burmese bowl,
0:41:00 > 0:41:04about 8.8 ounces approximately.
0:41:04 > 0:41:07Should be somewhere around about £100.
0:41:07 > 0:41:10£100. 50, start me.
0:41:10 > 0:41:1140, get me away.
0:41:11 > 0:41:1440, I've got. I've got 40. I've got... 50.
0:41:14 > 0:41:1640, 50. £40 on the maiden.
0:41:16 > 0:41:1750. 60.
0:41:17 > 0:41:1970. 80.
0:41:19 > 0:41:23- At £80. 80, I've got. - This is a bit better, Sally.
0:41:23 > 0:41:26At £80, I shan't dwell on it. Am I done?
0:41:26 > 0:41:29- He sold. That was short and sweet, wasn't it?- Yeah.
0:41:29 > 0:41:31Once it was in, it was like... Hammer down!
0:41:31 > 0:41:36- £80.- Exactly. It gets you the pool, doesn't it?- Yeah.
0:41:36 > 0:41:39Well, that'll buy a few tanks of diesel towards
0:41:39 > 0:41:40their fabulous adventure.
0:41:40 > 0:41:44Bon voyage, Chris and Sally. And now, for the final item of the day.
0:41:44 > 0:41:48Even with the damage, it is still highly desirable.
0:41:48 > 0:41:49Sue, it is good to see you.
0:41:49 > 0:41:51- I know Debbie can't be with us today.- No, sadly.
0:41:51 > 0:41:54- But I have high hopes for this Dunhill lighter.- So have I.
0:41:54 > 0:41:56I think this is a bit of a come-and-buy-me.
0:41:56 > 0:41:59I know you are put off by the slight damage.
0:41:59 > 0:42:02- Better to be cautious and let it do well.- Yes.
0:42:02 > 0:42:05- Let's see what the bidders think. Good luck.- Thank you very much.
0:42:05 > 0:42:07Very collectible little fellow.
0:42:07 > 0:42:11So, who's going to start me at £500?
0:42:11 > 0:42:13Five?
0:42:13 > 0:42:15Two?!
0:42:15 > 0:42:17Right. Two, I've got. Two, I've got.
0:42:17 > 0:42:19Three. Four.
0:42:19 > 0:42:21Five. Six.
0:42:21 > 0:42:23It's going up in hundreds, that's good.
0:42:23 > 0:42:26Seven. 50?
0:42:26 > 0:42:28Eight. 50?
0:42:28 > 0:42:31Nine. 50?
0:42:31 > 0:42:35At £900. At 900, am I all done?
0:42:35 > 0:42:38- That's good.- Brilliant.- £900. Fantastic!
0:42:38 > 0:42:41It's a lot more than I was going to go for.
0:42:41 > 0:42:45But it just goes to show, if something is damaged, put it in low
0:42:45 > 0:42:48and then let people make their own minds up.
0:42:48 > 0:42:50They ended up fighting for it, didn't they?
0:42:50 > 0:42:53Yeah, on a good day, you could buy a perfect one for 1,000.
0:42:53 > 0:42:55- Yeah. 800 to 1,200 they normally are.- Yes.
0:42:55 > 0:42:59- So actually, that was a brilliant price.- Brilliant price. Happy?
0:42:59 > 0:43:02- I'm ecstatic.- Good.- Thanks very much.
0:43:04 > 0:43:05Well, I'm really pleased for Sue,
0:43:05 > 0:43:08and what a great way to end the show.
0:43:08 > 0:43:12Well, that's it, it's all over, another day in another saleroom.
0:43:12 > 0:43:14And what a fabulous time we've had here.
0:43:14 > 0:43:16I hope you've enjoyed today's show.
0:43:16 > 0:43:20See you soon for many more surprises. Until then, it's goodbye.